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The first nationally representative study of substance abuse treatment results confirms that both substance use and criminal behavior are reduced for at least five years following inpatient, outpatient and residential drug abuse treatment. The Services Research Outcomes Study (SROS) was conducted by the Office of Applied Studies of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Findings of the study were determined through interviews with 1,799 persons (71.4 percent male and 28.6 percent female) who had undergone substance abuse treatment at 99 facilities selected from a random sample of treatment programs across the nation. All 1,799 clients were interviewed five years following discharge from drug abuse treatment and are representative of the 976,012 individuals discharged from treatment in 1990.
Five years following treatment there was a 21 percent reduction in the use of any illicit drug; a 14 percent decline in alcohol use; a 28 percent decrease in marijuana use; 45 percent drop in cocaine use; a 17 percent reduction in crack use; and a 14 percent decrease in heroin use.
Further, the findings confirmed results of previous studies showing that treatment significantly reduces not only substance use, but crime as well. According to the study, most criminal activity, including income-producing crimes (breaking and entering, drug sales, and prostitution) and violent and disorderly offenses (driving under the influence and weapons use) declined by at least 23 percent and as much as 38 percent following substance abuse treatment.
HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala said, "These research findings confirm numerous past studies establishing the critical importance and success of substance abuse treatment programs. September is Recovery Month. These findings should serve as a wake up call that we continue to face a serious treatment gap. I urge Congress to move quickly to approve the Administration's drug prevention and treatment budget which includes a $200 million increase in block grant money for the states to expand their substance abuse treatment and prevention programs."
Barry R. McCaffrey, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, noted that "the SROS report provides solid evidence that substance abuse treatment plays a critical role in our effort to meet the demand reduction goals of our nation's Drug Control Strategy. As we kick off this month's observance of Recovery Month, we need to encourage more people to seek treatment and redouble our efforts to insure that quality treatment is available."
"These findings," said SAMHSA Administrator Nelba Chavez, Ph.D. "Clearly show what we have been saying for years 'Treatment rebuilds lives, treatment can and does put families back together and restores the recovering substance abuser to productivity.' We are proud of the treatment successes confirmed by this new report. We must, however, continue to pursue several fundamental questions: Why do some people not complete their treatment; why does treatment work for some, but not for others; and how can we make treatment more relevant to individual needs, cultures and situations. There obviously is much work left to be done and this Administration is committed to giving anyone caught up in substance abuse a chance at a second beginning."
These findings are being released during National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month. This ninth annual observance is designed to recognize the extraordinary work of substance abuse treatment professionals and the contributions and achievements of people in recovery. The theme for this year's celebration is "Addiction Treatment: Investing in Communities."
The Services Research Outcomes Study was conducted by the National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago, for SAMHSA's Office of Applied Studies.
The Services Research Outcomes Study and the National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month Kit are available on the Internet at www.samhsa.gov, or may be ordered by contacting the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 1-800-729-6686; TDD (for hearing impaired), 1-800-487-4889. For more information about Recovery Month, contact the Office of Communications & External Liaison, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, at (301) 443-5052.
SAMHSA, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead Federal agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental health services in the United States. The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment is part of SAMHSA.